Thread: U.S. officials rethink hopes for Iraq democracy

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Nightmarish political realities in Baghdad are prompting American officials to curb their vision for democracy in Iraq. Instead, the officials now say they are willing to settle for a government that functions and can bring security.

A workable democratic and sovereign government in Iraq was one of the Bush administration's stated goals of the war.

But for the first time, exasperated front-line U.S. generals talk openly of non-democratic governmental alternatives, and while the two top U.S. officials in Iraq still talk about preserving the country's nascent democratic institutions, they say their ambitions aren't as "lofty" as they once had been.
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Why didn't anyone think this could be a problem? Oh wait. WE did.

What we need to do is install a dictator that kept the masses at bay. Wait, we did.

I love this quote.

"But Crocker and Petraeus conceded they are "now engaged in pursuing less lofty and ambitious goals than was the case at the outset."

I guess that they are not ever going to welcome us with daisies and lollipops.

Well, now I can see that Saddam had his uses....

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

Well, now I can see that Saddam had his uses....

Thats why we put him in power in the first place, then to keep him in power we gave and/or sold him WMD.

Funny what goes around comes around...

Exactly. He wasn't called the "Iraqi Strongman" for nothing.

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

Exactly. He wasn't called the "Iraqi Strongman" for nothing.

So why did we depose him again?

Originally Posted by Think for myself

So why did we depose him again?

Because he got too intoxicated with his own power and started biting the hand that fed him.

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

Because he got too intoxicated with his own power and started biting the hand that fed him.

Interesting take on it.

Originally Posted by Think for myself

Interesting take on it.

Seriously or is that sarcasm? Because remember,we were pretty friendly with him before the Gulf War. He fought a war against Iran so we wouldn't have to and his country served as a valuable source of oil for us.